A detailed exploration of The Tale of Genji (circa 1000 CE), arguing against its supposed accessibility while demonstrating the extreme cultural alienness of Heian-era Japan's Imperial Court through discussions of aesthetics, hierarchy, gender segregation, relationship customs, poetry, and translation challenges. Longer summary

This review explores The Tale of Genji, written around 1000 CE by Murasaki Shikibu in Japan's Imperial Court, arguing it is the world's oldest novel. The reviewer strongly disagrees with translator Royall Tyler's claim that the work is easily accessible, instead demonstrating through extensive cultural context how alien this world is to modern readers. The review walks through key aspects of Heian court culture including extreme aestheticism, rigid hierarchy, gender segregation, complex relationship customs, and sophisticated poetry-based communication. It examines Genji himself—an idealized yet morally questionable protagonist by modern standards—and his numerous romantic pursuits including raising a 10-year-old girl to become his perfect wife. The review also discusses translation challenges across the four major English versions and one Finnish translation, showing how differently the same passages can be rendered. Despite the cultural distance, the reviewer finds moments of relatable human emotion beneath the alien customs, and ultimately recommends the work for readers with interest in history, tolerance for ambiguity, and willingness to suspend moral judgment. Shorter summary

The review examines Daniel Everett's 'How Language Began', which challenges Chomsky's linguistic theories and proposes an alternative view of language as a gradual cultural invention. Longer summary

This book review discusses Daniel Everett's 'How Language Began', which challenges Noam Chomsky's dominant theories in linguistics. Everett argues that language emerged gradually over a long period, is primarily for communication, and is not innate but a cultural invention. The review contrasts Everett's views with Chomsky's, detailing Everett's research with the Pirahã people and his alternative theory of language origins. It also touches on the controversy Everett's work has sparked in linguistics and its potential implications for understanding language and AI. Shorter summary

Scott reviews 'Albion's Seed' by David Fischer, exploring how four British cultural groups that settled colonial America shaped regional cultures and may still influence modern US political divisions. Longer summary

This post reviews David Fischer's book 'Albion's Seed', which examines four distinct British cultural groups that settled different regions of colonial America: the Puritans in New England, the Cavaliers in Virginia, the Quakers in Pennsylvania, and the Borderers in Appalachia. Scott explores how these groups' distinct values and practices shaped American regional cultures and may still influence modern political divisions. He discusses interesting facts about each group and speculates on how their legacies might relate to current 'Blue Tribe' and 'Red Tribe' cultural divides in the US. The post ends by wrestling with the implications of deep-rooted cultural differences for democracy and national unity. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander theorizes that ancient religions were inseparable from culture, comparing them to modern American civil religion and explaining how they evolved into distinct belief systems. Longer summary

Scott Alexander proposes a theory about the origin of religion, arguing that ancient religions were inseparable from culture and daily life. He compares ancient religions to modern American civil religion, highlighting similarities in customs, taboos, and mythologies. The post suggests that religion evolved from culture in a world where cultural differences were more pronounced, and became ossified and separated from context over time. Scott argues that writing down cultural practices and attributing them to gods provided justification for maintaining these practices. He also discusses how newer religions like Christianity and Islam underwent a similar process of ossification, preserving elements of their original cultural context. Shorter summary